Saunders scores 26, No. 25 BYU wins its fifth straight by beating Arizona State 91-81
BYU Cougars vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: Game Highlights
TEMPE, Ariz. — — Richie Saunders scored 26 points, Trevin Knell added 18 and No. 25 BYU beat short-handed Arizona State 91-81 on Wednesday night to extend its winning streak to five games.
BYU (20-8, 11-6 Big 12) never trailed after the first few minutes, making 10 3-pointers in the first half and 17 in the game. Saunders shot 10 of 19 from the field, including 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Arizona State cut the deficit to 78-69 with 5:34 remaining, but BYU responded with back-to-back 3-pointers by Dallin Hall and Saunders.
The Sun Devils (13-15, 4-13) have lost seven of their past eight. Basheer Jihad led Arizona State with 19 points, while Joson Sanon and Trevor Best had 18.
Saunders scored 15 points before the break, hitting five 3-pointers to give the Cougars a 47-37 halftime advantage.
The Sun Devils were playing without starters Alston Mason (illness) and Jayden Quaintance (leg). Leading scorer BJ Freeman was dismissed for conduct detrimental to the team over the weekend.
Arizona State used just seven players against the Cougars. Jihad and Sanon played all 40 minutes.
Take
aways
BYU: The Cougars continued their impressive stretch run that’s allowed them to climb into the top half of the Big 12 standings. First-year coach Kevin Young — who was an assistant for the Phoenix Suns team that went to the NBA Finals in 2021 — has a lot of momentum.
Arizona State: The scrappy Sun Devils are still playing hard for coach Bobby Hurley, whose job security could be in question after the season.
Key moment
BYU hit its first five 3-pointers, taking a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Key stats
BYU shot better from 3-point range (50%) than it did on free throws (40%).
Up next
BYU hosts West Virginia on Saturday. Arizona State is at Utah on Saturday.
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BYU Cougars
Arizona State Sun Devils
BYU Cougars vs. Arizona State Sun Devils: Game Highlights
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Game Information
2024-25 Big 12 Conference Standings
Men’s College Basketball News
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BYU | 47 | 44 | 91 |
| ASU | 37 | 44 | 81 |
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 16-1 | – | 24-4 |
| Arizona | 13-4 | 3 | 19-9 |
| Texas Tech | 12-5 | 4 | 21-7 |
| Iowa State | 11-6 | 5 | 21-7 |
| BYU | 11-6 | 5 | 20-8 |
| Kansas | 10-7 | 6 | 19-9 |
| West Virginia | 8-9 | 8 | 17-11 |
| Baylor | 8-9 | 8 | 16-12 |
| TCU | 8-9 | 8 | 15-13 |
| Cincinnati | 7-10 | 9 | 17-11 |
| Utah | 7-10 | 9 | 15-13 |
| Kansas State | 7-10 | 9 | 13-15 |
| UCF | 6-11 | 10 | 15-13 |
| Oklahoma State | 6-11 | 10 | 14-14 |
| Arizona State | 4-13 | 12 | 13-15 |
| Colorado | 2-15 | 14 | 11-17 |
How To Watch No. 25 BYU Basketball At Arizona State
BYU vs Arizona State Preview: BYU Goes for Fourth Quad One Win in Five Games
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Things are much different for BYU and Arizona State versus the first team these two teams played earlier this season. BYU-ASU met on New Year’s Eve in the Big 12 opener. BYU had a non-conference slate that consisted of mostly cupcakes and no notable wins to speak of. ASU, meanwhile, put together a challenging non-conference schedule and had notable neutral court wins over New Mexico and Saint Mary’s. They had the real look of a NCAA Tournament caliber team.
Nearly two months later, both teams seasons have gone different directions. BYU is safely in the NCAA Tournament and Arizona State is 15th in the Big 12 standings. Despite their sub-500 record, Arizona State is still safely a Quad 1 game for BYU due in large part to their top 10 SOS.
BYU and Arizona by the Numbers
Arizona State KenPom: 58
NET: 60
Record: 13-14 (4-12 Big 12)
Notable Wins: Santa Clara (N), New Mexico (N), St Mary’s (N), Colorado (H/A), West Virginia (A), Kansas State (A)
Losses: Gonzaga (A), Florida (N), BYU (A), Kansas (A), Baylor (H), UCF (H), Cincinnati (A), Iowa State (H), Arizona (H), Kansas State (H), Oklahoma State (A), Texas Tech (A), TCU (H), Houston (H)
BYU KenPom: 27
NET: 29
Record: 19-8 (10-6 Big 12)
Notable Wins: NC State (N), Wyoming (N), Arizona State (H), Oklahoma State (H), Colorado (A), Cincinnati (H), Baylor (H), UCF (A), West Virginia (A), Kansas State (H), Kansas (H), Arizona (A)
Losses: Ole Miss (N), Providence (A), Houston (A), Texas Tech (H), TCU (A), Utah (A), Arizona (H), Cincinnati (A)
KenPom Prediction: BYU 76, ASU 74 — BYU 58% win probability
Spread: BYU -3.5
Point Total: 150.5
Arizona State Overview
Arizona State is limping to the finish line, both metaphorically and physically. The Sun Devils snapped a 6-game losing streak Sunday when they went on the road and upset Kansas State. This came on the heels of the announcement of their leading scorer, BJ Freeman, kicked off the team just before the game due to a violation of team rules.
Freeman’s departure may have sparked something in ASU, but to compound matters star freshman big man Jayden Quaintance left the game late versus Kansas State with a lower leg injury and was seen leaving the game on crutches. Quaintance is a future NBA player and had 18 points and 7 boards versus ASU. Head Coach Bobby Hurley was coy on Quaintance’s status for BYU, saying they’d say more prior to the game.
ASU is is 4-12 in Big 12 play, and just one of those wins have come on their home court. After winning their conference home opener versus last-place Colorado on January 4, ASU has lost their last 7 home games.
One thing you can expect in this game is a lot of three-point attempts. BYU attempts the most threes in the Big 12 and Arizona State is #2. ASU has struggled with turnovers, doesn’t get many offensive rebounds, and their 50% two-point percentage is #12 in Big 12 play, but the three ball is the one thing they do well. They are 5th in the Big 12 in three-point percentage, shooting 34%. Guards Alston Mason, Adam Miller, and Joson Sanon all shoot over 38% from distance.
ASU’s defensive metrics aren’t great, but they are #3 in Big 12 in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 30.7%. This has come to the detriment in other areas, as they are towards the bottom of the league in allowing offensive rebounds and opponent two-point percentage.
Arizona State played just 7 players in their win versus Kansas State, and if Quaintance is out that will shorten their rotation even more.
Prediction
Both of these teams are trending different directions. Bobby Hurley is on the hot seat and Arizona State is not anywhere close to the tournament bubble. They did show some life in their win at Kansas State, so maybe they give a spirited effort again.
I think BYU wins this comfortably and could win in blowout fashion. BYU has to guard the three-point line well, something they did not do well versus Arizona, but their offense is so potent right now and I don’t think Arizona State has the discipline or number of bodies to give BYU enough trouble. If Quaintance is out, I think BYU dominates the glass and runs away with this game.
I expect LOTS of BYU fans in an arena that will have a ton of tickets available.
Prediction: BYU 87, Arizona State 73
*Record Straight Up: 20-7
*Record Against the Spread: 13-14
* I’ll make a prediction for every game and track my record through the season
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